# Camera Shopping in Japan: New & Used Cameras and Lenses URL: https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/camera-shopping-japan-guide/ Idioma: en > Where to buy new and used cameras in Japan: Map Camera, Yodobashi and Bic Camera in Shinjuku, Fujiya Camera in Nakano, Umeda in Osaka. Tax-free tips. [Private guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/) · [Otaku Japan](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/otaku-japan-private-guide/) # Camera shopping in Japan: where to buy and what to check Updated November 3, 2026 · by Mario, private guide in Japan (The Umeda district of Osaka) The Umeda district of Osaka Photo: [Martin Falbisoner](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Umeda_Sky_Building,_Osaka,_November_2016_-01.jpg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 案内人 マリオ The short answer For cameras in Japan, Shinjuku in Tokyo has the densest choice, with Map Camera for used gear and the flagship Yodobashi and Bic Camera stores for new; Fujiya Camera in Nakano is famous for used lenses and accessories; in Osaka, Umeda’s huge electronics stores carry new equipment. Check warranty coverage, menu languages and tax-free rules before you buy. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582. Quick facts Topic Camera shopping in Japan Guide Mario, private English-speaking guide (also speaks Spanish); four years guiding Rates Half day ¥45,600 · full day ¥69,600 · long day trips from ¥84,000 (per private party) Book [WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) ## Where to buy Store or area New or used Why go Map Camera, Shinjuku Mostly used, also new A specialist with a large, well-graded used stock across several floors Yodobashi Camera, Shinjuku West Exit New Flagship store spread over several buildings; huge choice of bodies, lenses and accessories Bic Camera New Large stores in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, often next to major stations Fujiya Camera, Nakano Used and new Known for used lenses, accessories and a “junk” corner for repair projects Shinjuku’s smaller used shops Used, vintage film Film cameras and older lenses around the West Exit Yodobashi Umeda, Osaka New One of the largest electronics stores in Japan, connected to Osaka Station Nipponbashi, Osaka Used and parts Den Den Town’s electronics and camera shops Store floors and stock change often; Mario checks the current situation and maps a route before your day. ## Buying used: what Japanese condition grades mean Japan’s used-camera market is known for honest grading and careful handling. Each item usually carries a card with its condition, accessories included and the store’s own warranty period. The grading words vary by store but follow a similar logic, from new-old-stock and mint, through excellent and good, to items sold as-is. - **Read the notes.** Haze, fungus, scratches and dust in lenses, shutter counts and battery health are listed in Japanese. Mario translates every line. - **Ask to test.** Most shops let you mount a lens on your body or fire the shutter at the counter. - **Check the store warranty.** Used gear from good shops often carries a short in-store warranty, usable only in Japan. ## Buying new: warranty and language - **Warranty:** new cameras sold in Japan usually come with a Japanese manufacturer warranty that may not be honored abroad. Check before you buy; some stores offer their own extended coverage, again usually for Japan only. - **Menu language:** most current interchangeable-lens cameras offer English menus, but some models made for the Japanese market do not. Ask staff to switch the language on the display model before you pay. - **Chargers:** most battery chargers accept 100–240 V; check the label. - **Prices:** large stores often add loyalty points; points are mainly useful if you return to the same chain during your trip. ## Power and plugs - **Voltage:** Japan uses 100 V, at 50 Hz in eastern Japan (Tokyo) and 60 Hz in western Japan (Osaka, Kyoto). - **Plugs:** type A, two flat pins, the same shape as in the United States. Visitors from the UK, Australia and New Zealand need an adapter. - **Modern chargers** for phones, laptops and camera batteries are usually rated 100–240 V and work worldwide; check the label. - **Older devices built for 100 V only** often run on US 120 V outlets, but a step-down transformer is the safe choice; on 230–240 V (UK, Australia, New Zealand) a step-down transformer is essential. ## Tax-free shopping Visitors can shop tax-free on purchases of ¥5,000 or more (before tax) per store per day at participating shops; bring your passport, not a photocopy. Japan has been moving its tax-free system to a refund model from November 2026, in which tax is charged at the till and refunded after customs confirms the goods leave Japan with you. Ask each store how it handles tax-free sales, and keep tax-free purchases unopened and with you until departure. ## A sample camera day in Tokyo - **10:30** Shinjuku West Exit: Map Camera’s used floors, then Yodobashi for new bodies and lenses. - **13:00** Lunch in Shinjuku. - **14:00** The Chuo line to Nakano: Fujiya Camera, then Nakano Broadway if you also collect anime goods. - **16:30** A photo walk to test your new lens: Shinjuku Gyoen in the afternoon light, or the lanes of Shibuya at dusk. ## A sample camera day in Osaka - **10:00** Yodobashi Umeda for new equipment. - **12:00** Lunch, then the subway to Nipponbashi. - **13:00** Den Den Town’s electronics and used camera shops. - **15:30** A photo walk in Dotonbori and Shinsekai as the neon comes on. ## Why go with Mario Mario loves cameras and electronics, and enjoys comparing lenses as much as you do. He reads the Japanese condition notes and warranty cards, asks staff the technical questions, and keeps track of prices across shops so you can decide calmly. He is based in Kansai: Osaka and Kyoto days carry no guide travel cost; for Tokyo, his train fare (and hotel if overnight) is added at cost. Half day ¥45,600, full day ¥69,600, per private party. 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Is there a guide who knows cameras? Yes: Mario is a camera and electronics enthusiast who translates condition notes and compares shops in Shinjuku, Nakano and Umeda. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; message him on WhatsApp at +81 70 8996 8582. Is it cheaper to buy a camera in Japan? Sometimes, especially for used lenses and bodies, which are plentiful and carefully graded. New prices vary; compare with home, and remember that warranties are often valid only in Japan. Where is the best place to buy a used camera in Tokyo? Shinjuku, around the West Exit, with Map Camera and several smaller shops, and Fujiya Camera in Nakano. Do Japanese cameras have English menus? Most current models do, but some Japanese-market models do not. Ask to check the menu before buying. (Mario, private English-speaking tour guide in Japan) **Mario** · private English-speaking guide in Japan. Four years of guiding, fluent Spanish too, and the logistics of someone based in Kansai who married into a Japanese family. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Camera%20shopping%20in%20Japan%3A%20where%20to%20buy%20and%20what%20to%20check%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Plan ahead ## Read next Read next - [Otaku Japan with a private guide who is one of you](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/otaku-japan-private-guide/) - [Electronics and retro games: Den Den Town and Akihabara](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/electronics-retro-games-osaka-den-den-town/) - [Private guide: Tokyo](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/tokyo/) - [Private guide: Kyoto](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/kyoto/) See all (6) - [Private guide: Tokyo](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/tokyo/) - [Private guide: Osaka & Nara](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/osaka-nara/) Continue? ## Let Mario plan your Japan Send your dates, the size of your party and where you are staying. Mario replies with a plan, and every reservation is made for you, in Japanese. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Camera%20shopping%20in%20Japan%3A%20where%20to%20buy%20and%20what%20to%20check%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20)[See prices](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/#prices)